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Sex Assault Hotline Calls Surge After Ford Testimony

After millions of people watched Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testify about what she says Brett Kavanaugh did to her, calls to sexual assault hotlines have surged. Local counselors and experts share more about the sudden influx of calls.

(Published Friday, Sept. 28, 2018)

Calls to a national hotline for victims of sexual assault surged Thursday, the day Christine Blasey Ford testified before the Senate, detailing allegations that she was sexually assaulted by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network announced that the number of calls to its National Sexual Assault hotline surged by 201 percent Thursday, NBC News reported.

“We often see an uptick when sexual assault is in the news," RAINN spokeswoman Sara Mcgovern said in a statement. "For example, last weekend, from Friday to Sunday we saw a 57 percent increase compared to an average Friday to Sunday. Since Dr. Ford has come forward with her allegations, we have seen a 45.6 percent uptick compared to the same time period in 2017."